Saturday, July 20, 2013

Bead Hoarders Blog Hop - REVEAL !

Me ? A bead hoarding problem ? What would you be talking about ? *cough*

Yeah, yeah... This hop was meant for me. I hoard things, all sort of things. It was high time I finally hoarded them in a way other people could see them !

But I decided to go big or go home. I decided to use one of my most precious treasures. What is that treasure, you ask ?


Why, it would be this amazing lampwork bead by Jennifer Cameron ! This bead also has a bit of history, see... Last yeah, Jennifer held a sale / party over on her blog in which there was much chatting, many shinies, and a good time to be had by all. I brought two beads from said sale, so when this one came out my heart broke. I didn't have the money to snag this beauty ! So I counted my losses and moved on, certain that someone would snag this beauty.

Jenn said the beads who didn't sell in the blog party would end up on etsy... And what do I spy on etsy a few weeks later ? This very beauty, waiting for me. It was as if it was simply meant to be mine and that was that. I didn't let it slip away twice ! But I could never convince myself that I could make this lovely bead any justice. So I hoarded it, as a dragon hoards treasure.

What stuck me was how differently two artists can perceive something. This is what Jenn said in her etsy description...

Bridal Jewelry. That's how I picture this focal with the something blue (and sparkly). Or maybe just a beautiful, elegant, and sparkly focal bead for a special piece of jewelry for yourself just because you are special and deserve it.
 I saw water. Clear, pristine, beautiful water sparkling under the sun. Raindrops glimmering as they streak down a window.

With that in mind, I got to work.


I used blue dragon's vein agate, and a lot of opalite. Predictable ? Perhaps. But the opalite's glow work so well with the focal bead's sparkle. The bead caps were painted with a mix of lumiere paint then sealed. It gives them just that extra little something. The clasp is a pretty little heart and key that I felt counterbalanced the focal well.


The necklace itself was quite easy to so, but this part in particular was a pain in the ass ! I wanted the feel of rain, so I wrapped these tiny tiny little opalite rounds... Carefully cut the chain... Wire-wrapped briolettes ?! (Wat). This has been the bane of my existence since... Well, since I started making jewelry. I could never wire-wrap a briolette and not make it into a complete disaster. Im not even gonna get into how many of them I broke (too many). But I finished got to this end result. 

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this post ! Please give everyone else a visit, too !


1.  Lori Anderson, Pretty Things
2. Nancy Dale, NEDBeads
3. Roxanne Mendoza, Roxi Designs
4.  Melissa Trudinger, beadrecipes
5.  Rana Lea, Rana Lea Designs
6.  Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs
7.  Rita Avila, Jewel School Friends
8.  Linda Anderson, From the Bead Board
9.  Sharon Palac, Sharon's Jewelry Garden
10.  Erin Guest, Renlish

11.  Joan Williams, lilruby jewelry
12. Diane Hawkey, Diane Hawkey
13.  Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
14.  Sue Kennedy, SueBeads
15.  Lisa Cone, Inspired Adornments
16.  Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design
17.  Nichole Byers, Nichole Byers
18.  Lori Jean Poppe, Adventures in Creativity
19.  Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings
20.  Lori Schneider, Bead Addict

21.  Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me
22. Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini
23.  Niki Sayers, Silver Nik Nats
24.  Elsie Deliz-Fonseca, Eliz-Eliz and All That Craft
25.  Amber Dawn, Inventive Soul
26.  Heather Powers, Humblebeads
27.  Sarah Goode, Pookledo
28.  Monique Urquhart, A Half-Baked Notion
29.  JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions
30.  Cheri Reed, Creative Designs by Cheri

31.  Robyn, Museiddity
32.  Catherine King, Catherine's Musings
33.  Jacquie, Bead Gypsy
34.  Janet McDonald, Singing Woods
35. Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreations
36.  Tanty Sri Hartanti, TJewellicious by Tanti
37.  Hannah Rosner, Good River Valley
38.  Rochelle Brisson, A Creative Chelle
39.  Nelly May, Smelly Nelly
40.  Skylar Bre'z, Brising Beads

41.  Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool
42.  Christie Murrow, Charis Designs
43.  Leanne Loftus, First Impression Design
44.  Valerie Norton, Hot Art
45.  Judy Riggs, Rigglettes
46.  Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons
47.  Terry Carter,  Tapping Flamingo
48.  Sue, Mid-Life Great Expectations
49.  Nan Smith, Wired Nan
50.  Miranda Ackerley, MirandAck Arts

51.  Marie Covert, Creating Interest
52.  D'Arsie Manzella, This Here Now, Mamacita
53.  Stephanie Haussler, Pixybug Designs
54.  Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design
55.  Johanna Nunez, The Lovely One Design
56.  Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
57.  Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
58.  Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things
59.  Debbie Rasmussen, A Little of This, A Little of That
60.  Nat, Grubbi Ceramics

61.  Marjorie Savill Linthwaite, Bennu Bird Rising
62.  Cheryl McCloud, One Thing Leads to Another
63.  Heather Otto, The Crafthopper
64.  Candida Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks
65.  Tracie Dean, Dean Designs
66.  JuLee Wolfe, The Polymer Penguin
67.  Ginger Bishop, Lil Mummy Likes
68.  Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design
69.  Jeannie Dukic, Jeannie's Blog
70.  Dini Bruinsma, Angaza by Changes

71.  Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit
72.  Shalini Austin, Jewellery by Shalini
73.  Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle
74.  Ile Ruzza, Ilenia's Unique Beaded Jewelry
75.  Jackie Marchant, Fiddledeedee Jewelry
76.  Annita Wilson, AW Jewelry 
77.  Sherri Stokey, Knot Just Macrame
78.  Hannah Trost, PZ Designs
79.  Linda Inhelder, Must Haves Jewelry
80.  Miri Agassi, Beadwork

81.  Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
82.  Dyanne Cantrell, Dee-Liteful Jewelry Creations
83.  Susan Bowie, Susan Nelson Bowie
84.  Megan Milliken, MaeMaeMills
85.  Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry
86.  Ambra Gostoli, Chic and Frog
87.  Lori Lochner, Bloghner
88.  Gerda Jurimae, Gerda's Crafts Blog
89.  Susan, Mistheword
90.  MaryLou Holvenstot, MaryLou's time2cre8

91.  Mary Shannon Hicks, falling into the sky
92.  Karin King, The Sparklie Things Blog
93.  Christa Murphy, Adventures of One Beady Woman
94.  Jenny Davie-Reazor, Jenny Davies-Reazor
95.  Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous
96.  Mallory Hoffman, Rosebud 101 - For the Love of Beads
97.  Danielle Kelley, Imbue the Muse
98.  Kym Hunter, Kym Hunter Designs
99.  Dolores Rami, CraftyD's Creations
100.  Marcia Dunne, 13 Alternatives

101.  Marlene Cupo, Amazing Designs
102.  Emma Todd, A Polymer Penchant
103.  Wendy Holder, Jewelry by WendyLea
104.  Michelle Escano, The Cabby Crafter
105.  Louise Glazier, Lily and Jasmine Treasures
106.  Dana Hickey, Wind Dancer Studios
107.  Lennis Carter, windbent
108.  Anne Betenson, Crystal River Beads
109.  Audrey Belanger,  Dreams of an Absolution
110.  Lisa Stukel, Carefree Jewelry by Lisa

111.  Janine Lucas, Travel Stories
112.  Claire Lockwood, Something to Do With Your Hands
113.  Kathy Engstrom, Catherine's Dreams
114.  Paula Hisel, Simply Beadiful
115.  Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
116.  Mischelle Fanucchi, Micheladas Musings
117.  Kim, Cianci Blue
118.  Linda Sadler, Ida Louise Jewelry
119.  Karen, Spokalulu
120.  Jennifer LaVite, Dry Gulch Bead and Jewelry

121.  Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations
122.  Karen Martinez, Fairies Market
123.  Robin Reed, Artistry HCBD
124.  Amy Bright, LABweorc
125.  Jasvanti Patel, Jewels by Jasvanti
126.  Tammie Everly, TTE Designs
127.  Karin Slaton, Backstory Beads
128.  Natalie Moten, Running Out of Thread
129.  Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections
130.  Jenny Kyrlach, Wonder and Whimsy

131.  LiliKrist, Handmade by LilK
132.  Jessica Klaaren, The Truth Space
133.  Cynthia Abner, Created Treasures
134.  Beth Emery, Stories by Indigo Heart
135.  Heather Davis, Blissful Garden Beads
136.  Jeanne, Gems by Jeanne Marie
137.  Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe
138.  Laren Dee Barton, Laren Dee Designs
139.  Steph, Confessions of a Bead Hoarder
140.  Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

141.  B. R. Kuhlman, Mixed Mayhem
142.  Patty Miller, Cabari Beads
143.  Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads
144.  Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things
145.  Lizzie Clarke, The Need to Bead
146.  Christina Miles, Wings 'n' Scales
147.  Patricia, The Color of Dreams
148.  Marde Lowe, Fancimar
149.  Ev Shelby, Raindrop Creations
150.  Sarah Small, By Salla

151.  Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs
152.  Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry
153.  Pam Traub, Klassy Joolz
154.  Lisa Harrison, Daisy Meadow Studio
155.  Anzia Parks, Anzi-Panzi's Work Shoppe
156.  Ingrid, Lilisgems Handcrafted Jewelry Inspirations
157.  Andra Weber, Andra's Joyful Journey
158.  Kelly Hosford Patterson, The Traveling Side Show
159.  Adlinah Kamsir, Dreamstruck Designs
160.  Marci, That Nothing Be Wasted

161.  Kris Lanae Binsfield,  Cherish Designs
162.  Stephanie Perry, Mustard Bead
163.  Birgit Klughardt, Gites Beads
164.  Inge von Roos, Inge's Blog
165.  Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place
166.  Sandy Markley, Gypsy Spirit Designs
167.  Elena Adams, Lena's Beady Blog
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Saturday, July 6, 2013

Seasons Blog Hop - REVEAL !

Oh deary me. Where can I even begin ? The last few months have had it's share of things - some of them bad, like depression rearing it's ugly head again, but some good, like a promotion at work ! Which did shovel a lot of things on me. My muses have been absent for quite a few months, but as I pre-write this (July 1) I am ON VACATION and I am hoping to chase down those little buggers again. I do believe I have vanquished this bout of depression, too - or at least I hope so.

But that's not what you're here for, right ? You're here for SHINY THINGS ! Yes, yes.

The package I received from Lisa consisted of brown, white and green ceramic beads. Immediately I thought of... mint chocolate ice cream. XD; But then I remembered I had an amazing focal that would work so well with these... What is summer without dragonflies buzzing over the lake of your cabin, after all ?

So, my season is definitively summer ! The fact that I am a summer baby certainly helps, too. :)

So, first of all... I made a necklace.


Isn't it lovely ? The dragonfly stamping was hand-painted and antiqued, mixed with a mjx of amber, spectra beads, and czech glass. The second biggest round beads are from my kit, and the biggest lampwork bead was made just for this piece by my amazing friend Donna Millard <3

And I found the most darling little dragonfly clasp to match it !


Isn't that adorable ? Like it's bigger sister, this dragonfly was painted and antiqued by me. The copper wire is pure copper, and will darken in time.

Not content with only doing one piece and having beads from my kit left over, I made a matching bracelet.


Wait, Audrey, I hear you say. That is a bracelet ??? Why, yes it is ! I like big, chunky jewelry, and that adorable little ceramic focal (from The Classic Bead) needed some buddies to hang out with. The large pebbles are from my kit.

It is worn like so, wrapping over the wrist once and closing on the front.


And what i like to do is cross the strands and tuck the clasp under the focal neatly. The focal still has enough movement that it can be lifted for easy access to the clasp.



Thank you so much for visiting, and please give everyone else a visit and a comment, too !

Your Hostess: Lisa Lodge, Grateful Artist
  
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Cassi Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill
Stephanie Sanner Haussler, PixyBug Designs
Leah Mifflin Tees, My Beady Little Eyes
Karin Slaton, BackStory Beads
Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution << YOU ARE HERE <3
Lori Jean Poppe, Lorillijean Creative Corner
Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design
Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life
Alicia Marinache,  All the Pretty Things
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Toltec Jewels, Toltec Jewels for Jewel School Friends
Lennis Carrier, Windbent
Erin Kenny, Beadifultherapy
Tanya Goodwin, A Work in Progress
Cilla Watkins, Tell Your Girlfriends
Renetha Williams Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts
Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry
Sierra Barrett, Giraffe Can Has
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Shirley Jones Moore, Beads and Bread
Dawn Horner, Northern Adornments
Charlene Bausinger Jacka, Clay Space
Tara Plote, The Newbie Beader's Blog
Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks
Miranda Ackerley, Daze and Days
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Saturday, April 20, 2013

Unbirthday Blog Hop - REVEAL !

Merry unbirthday to me ! Merry unbirthday to me !

Eh ? What, it's totally my unbirthday, did you honestly forget ? My partner is the lovely D Lynne Bowland, who lives in the Atlantic region of Canada !

Lynne's birthday is in october, so my weapon of choice was peridot... Or at least peridot hues. I did a bit of both, you see...


My apologies for the less than stellar pictures. This was taken before the camera / light box combo entered the equation, and I wasn't able to retake new pictures before sending the set off to Lynne. :)



This is handmade chain, as I often do - the bigger green rounds are glass (I do not think it it czech glass, but I am not sure. I've had these for quite a bit), the little chips are actual peridot chips. The clasp is linked to the chain solidly by sari ribbon.


The focal is a golden hoop rescued from a broken pair of earrings. Peridot chips are wrapped along the inner section of the hoop, and a peridot-colored crystal hangs from the top.


The matching earrings follow the same basic idea as the necklace links - peridot chip and the green glass beads.

My birthday is in june - and there are a bajilion birthstones for June ! Seems like every chart likes to say something different... Common stones to see are pink quartz, alexandrite, pearls. Lynne decided to take a bit of everything - for amazing results !


I will be the first to admit - beadweaving blows my mind. It honestly does. I do not think I will ever have either the patience or the skill for either... And look what showed up at my doorstep ! Breathtaking, isn't it ? I love this necklace.


Lynne made that amazing focal, too. Isn't it breathtaking all of it's own ? I love how she added peridot hues to link us together :)

Now go look at all the amazing talent in this hop ! :)


Ali McCarthy

Alicia Marinache

Anzia Parks

Audrey Belanger

Cheri Reed

Cheryl Dunham

Chris Eisenberg

Christine Schlicht

Cynthia Machata

D Lynne Bowland

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell

Gina Hockett

Ginger Bishop

Gloria Allen

Janeen Burlingame

Joana Perez Stribel

Lori Schneider

Mary Govaars

Mischelle Fanucchi

Paula Gaskill

Renetha Stanziano

Robin Reed

Sherry Baun

Shirley Moore

Sierra Barrett

Susan Bowie

Susie Harris

Mowse Doyle

Cindy Muse

Ellie Grossman

Marlene Cupo

Shelley Graham Turner
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Saturday, April 13, 2013

Bead Soup Blog Party 7 : Reveal #2 - REVEAL !

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the my reveal of the bead soup blog party ! And this was a good soup. A challenging soup. Twilight Sparkle had some very set ideas on how I should go about with this and she simply never let me stop until she was pleased ! Certainly a lot of personality in such a tiny unicorn...

As a reminder, this is what Bee sent me. She drowned me in... pink ! Pink being very much not my color. I used to LOVE pink.... when I was five years old. XD Still, it was good to learn how to work with a color I would not have picked myself if I had been given the choice, and good that I did not stay STUCK on the fact that I had to deal with pink. Seriously... I spent more time waiting on supplies than actually designing and making these.

Thank you, Canada Post. XP

At any rate, this is what I made under the careful eye of Twilight Sparkle the unicorn and Manic the cat...



AHA ! Not quite what you expected, uh ? :D This was stupidly fun to do. It gave me an excuse to order and use those stick pearls I'd been eyeing for awhile. The chain is handmade with wire, and I used the pink pearls and the pink crystals Bee sent me. The rest came from my stash. The ovals were given a light brush with vintaj patina for that little subtle pop of color.



But this is what I am really proud of. See, I didn't want to use the Swarovski butterfly in the way most would - put a jump ring though it and call it good. I had gotten a bezel in an order whose bail was broken - it didn't seem worth it to complain about a 2$ item and the actual frame was fine, so I decided to keep it. It was when I put the two together that it really clicked in my mind. It was an accident. I was rummaging though my drawers of stuff and the focal fell in the broken bezel. EUREKA !

The base is pink crystal clay, with white, pink and purple preciosa chatons inlaid in it, and two little butterfly charms for flow. Those things are IN THERE.... Crystal Clay is like a black hole. What enters it doesn't come out once it's cured.

I used the ribbon to frame the bezel. It gives it a little something extra, doesn't it ? :) I like the little additional pop of colors and the flow the continuous ribbon gives.

This piece gave me a few fits. It originally was on a lighter gauge wire with darker ribbon... Nuh uh. Bad idea. Loops were breaking apart. So, two days before the reveal, faced with a piece that was falling apart, I did the only thing I could really do. I broke it up and did it again.

And again.

And again.

I didn't have any left of the first ribbon so I had to do with what I had - I hand-colored white silk in soft pinks and purples. Now that it's done, with the frustration out of my system, I think the lighter, softer ribbon fits this best.

Next up...



Is a charm bracelet ala B'Sue ! These are so stupidly fun to make. This is a raw brass cuff that I painted silver with the vintaj patina, then relieved back a little to have some hints of that golden tone peeking though. The beads are a mix of things that I had been accumulating in the past year, as well as parts of Bee's soup of course - most notably those cute little mother of pearl flowers ! Also, spectra beads. I love them.



The focal was actually the very first thing I made - while I was waiting for my chatons to come in the mail. It is a commercial focal - it comes with the secret garden engraving already done, but I didn't like the white danglies that it came it. I did keep some of them, but mostyl topped it with more. I used the vintaj patinas to accent the letters, then went over it with pink and bronze. Then I topped it off with one of the butterflies from the charm set I brought, and with a freebie heart I got from the lovely Lesley <3

Then, to top off the set...


Well I bet you weren't expecting that, now did you ? >:) This is not the first pair of earrings that I made - that honor goes to the amazing Lori herself - and that I have no pictures of because I AM DUMB... And didn't take any. But anyway. Not my first, not my last, but the first you guys get to see !

I wanted to make a 'set' in which each piece would be able to stand alone on their own if needed... And I think I succeeded in that.

And then...



Some might remember this focal. It's a brooch that I found last year in one of my many thrift store hunts. Bee sent me some pink howlite stars, and it was perfect for this. This is a three-strands bracelet with the strands crossing in the middle. The best part of it, to me, is that the brooch is unharmed, and can still be taken off and used as an actual brooch if one wishes. :) I just didn't have the heart to break it. B'Sue told me this was probably someone's craft project. I wouldn't want someone breaking my stuff, so I had to treat this brooch with the same respect. It simply is pinned though the long seed beads part of the bracelet, and can be unpinned without harming either pieces.

That was all I had... Until the second reveal was pushed back. I was a little bummed, but I understood completely - Lori's health above all things, after all. So then I thought... There has to be something I can do beside sit and pout ?

Oh yes. There is. Well, it allowed me to retake most of the pictures for one. I brought a camera at the pharmacy - a Canon Powershot A800 that sat there, discounted, only waiting for my loving hands. The camera on it's own is a definite improvement over my cell phone camera which refuses to even zoom since the last android update. Then I made a lightbox during the weekend. It works perfectly for stand alone shots, but I think I need a bigger one for when I use a stand. Hmm.

And then, I did this !


This little geisha started her life as a brass stamping is rusty black. Rusty black is a lovely finish - when you relieve it, copper highlights rise up. Kind of like arte metal, if you are familiar with Vintaj finishes. (Or is arte metal silver accents ? Herp derp I forget.) I relieved and sanded her a bit, then covered her in brass swellegant metal paint, and THEN put on the darkening patina, let it bloom, then buffed it back. You can still see some of the copper highlights - the focal is seriously something to behold in person. Then I used some crystal clay to bejewel her sash - it doesn't really show in the pictures too well, but the crystal clay has some perfect pearls worked into it for a metallic soft shimmer below the chatons.

One side of the necklace is book chain - a new love of mine. Book chain and ribbon are a match made in HEAVEN. The book chain started as matte gold, a sample I got from Brenda. It was too light for my tastes, so I used the same swellegant brass paint > darkening process as I did on the focal. Now it looks ancient and yummy, yes.

The other side is handmade chain much like the Secret Garden necklace is, but a little simpler. The first set of links consists of two spectra beads (Did I mention I love spectra glass beads ? Relevant.), bead caps and the pearls Bee sent me. The second pair of links is the rose quartz Bee sent me, bead caps, and a paler pink spectra bead sandwiched in between. The bead caps are the same - and yet the shape of the bead within makes it look all the more different, then ? The whole thing is wrapped in silk ribbon that I dyed myself with alchool ink.

Like what you see ? Every piece in this post is available for purchase at Toki No Hourousha. It will not be easy to let go of these fabulous pieces, but I do not wear pink. Like, ever. At all. So I would rather they go to homes where they will be worn, rather than simply being show pieces <3

Well, I do hope you've enjoyed this ride ! Please visit my partner (and jewelry mentor) Bee, as well as the many other lovely pairs involved in the second reveal ! Thank you for stopping by !


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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Imaginarium


Imaginarium, a dream emporium!
Caress the tales
And they will dream you real
A storyteller's game,
Lips that intoxicate
The core of all life
Is a limitless chest of tales...

 I think this is a problem every artist has, eventually. You really don't have the faintest idea what goes on in your own brain anymore !

I have cases of this everyday, but today I actually let it translate directly into jewelry. See for yourself...


What the ever loving hell is this, your ask ? Well, I... don't know either. XD It STARTED as steampunk, I can tell you this much... I was on par with the course until the flowers were put on. They wanted to go there, and who was I to deny them ?

This is mixed metal at it's finest - copper, brass and silver dancing together with the shimmery hint of ribbon and the ball chain.


I quite like the pop of purple, honestly. It brings color to the piece, just a subtle pull from all the metal tones. This started as an empty bezel, the backdrop was painted with vintaj patinas then the charms and cogs were placed in before the resin was poured, when it was topped off with the word stick. The word stick is not glued on top, it is literally bonded with the resin... And it's not falling off anytime soon !


This is a lariat, for the Creative Group's april challenge, but given that this is ball chain I had to use a clasp... But hey, I embelished it a bit, as you can see !

Well, I hope you liked that little outlook into my brain. Remember, we're all mad here... ;)
Follow the madness,
Alice you know once did...

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